Louisiana officials reach tentative settlement in Ronald Greene wrongful-death case
The Facts
- Louisiana officials have reached a tentative settlement of about $4.8 million in the wrongful-death case over Ronald Greene’s 2019 death during an arrest.
- The settlement is with Greene’s family, including his daughter, and would resolve a federal wrongful-death lawsuit filed after his death.
- Greene was a Black motorist who died during a 2019 roadside arrest by Louisiana State Police near Monroe.
- Body-camera footage later made public showed officers punching, kicking, using stun guns on, and dragging Greene during the arrest.
- The case drew national attention and prompted multiple official inquiries, including federal investigations and state legislative scrutiny.
- The proposed settlement still requires approval by the Louisiana Legislature, so it is not yet final.
How left and right are reading this
- Both agree
- Body-camera footage showing Ronald Greene being punched, kicked, stunned, and dragged made his death in custody a grave institutional failure that demanded an official response, whether measured by public accountability or by the legal process now producing a settlement.
- They split on
- Less a disagreement than a question of emphasis: the settlement as overdue recognition of the harm done in a Black motorist’s death, versus the settlement as legitimate only insofar as it moves through the federal lawsuit and legislative approval.
Context
What does the settlement cover?
It would end the federal wrongful-death lawsuit filed by Greene’s family over his death during the 2019 arrest U.S. News & World R…,Newser.
Why did Ronald Greene’s case receive so much attention?
The case became widely known after body-camera footage published in 2021 showed troopers striking Greene, using stun guns on him and dragging him during the arrest U.S. News & World R…,AOL.com,Advocate.
Is the settlement final?
Not yet. Multiple reports say the agreement is tentative and still must be approved by the Louisiana Legislature U.S. News & World R…,Newser.
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